Korea

[Steve]

I may be headed to Korea for a little while. I did a search of this thread and found some info but not enough to answer my questions. I'm not really trying to find out about the 'sanuk' scene. I just want to find out what life in Seoul is like. I'm assuming with so many U.S. military there (I sometimes get asked if I'm in the military when I'm in Asia) that some of the local women will be fairly open to 'american brothers' (that's black american men to the uninformed..haha).

 

Also, I'm a big soccer fan to those who haven't been in the sports section. I heard that Murdoch has raised the fee and matches aren't as available over there. Maybe 1 match a week. Is this true?

 

I heard that the U.S. military cable channel may be available but is it only for enlisted men? I had 2 brothers in the service, maybe they'll let families of servicemen have it?

 

I also heard there are a fair amount of Kiwi and Aussie and even Brit girls there teaching english, etc. Is this true? I LOVE kiwi and Aussie girls. Bsasically, I am just trying to figure out if it would be too hard to get a gf there. I'm outgiong, affable and am easygoing around folks so I know I'll do my part.

 

I'm not much for clubs any more but would be interested in at least checking out some clubs or pubs of note. Any spots I should be aware of to meet either local girls or western girls? Just in case I do get shy all of a sudden (not likely..haha) are there any good online dating sites there?

 

Also, how bad are the winters? How expensive is the food? I plan to make a side trip or two the kingdom as well so I would assume the air fare is reasonable being only about 4 or 5 hours away?

 

You can post or PM me. Thanks in advance.

[Guest]

I like the JJ Mahooney's at the Hyatt Hotel, pretty girls, good band, somewhat expensive though. Many people agree that it's the best place in Seoul.

[sayjann]

'I'm outgiong, affable and am easygoing around folks so I know I'll do my part'

 

:rotfl: :rotfl:

 

you're still a gloryhunter..............

send me a pic of a Korean Girl in an Henry shirt..........

 

sorry my friend i could'nt resist..............

[Old Hippie]

Steve, Things have no doubt changed a bit since I was there last. The top of the Hill, Walker Hill has some Sanuk type stuff. There are also Barber shops, and a district that is basically Korean/Japanese only, but might be o.k. to go to, not sure now, White Americans did go there before.

 

Itawan, Near 8th Army (I think still) Head quarters is the main Shopping/ Western area. Lots of Brothers walking around. Pizza etc...The Nashville club was a BJ/Pull place. S/T is maybe $50+? Not sure. Hamilton Hotel had a decent disco with "open minded" girls around. Shereton Walker Hill had a lavish Casino and a nice show...

 

Winteris Cold as Hell, as in Cold...heard it refered to as "Dr Zivzago cold" (theRussian Dude from the movie/book). Koreans are basically Pretty stoic, bordering on what we would consider rude. Still, if I had to pick a single group of women as "theBest sex" I'd pick Koreans. If that matters.

 

Armed Forces TV is usually available in hotels/GI spots...BORING! Unless you like boring news about the new uniform changes, or Hat regulations...etc...

 

Generelly, Seoul is expensive! in some cases more so then the USA (but I have no real ideas on club costs here anymore either). The food is good! Bulgogi (fire meat/BBQ Korean style) and "Bee-Bim-Bop" are 2 favorites... SoJu was the local hooch similar to Sake or Lao Khao (for lack of a better comparison). Kimchied everything is also really good.

 

Maybe you should try going to Korea Town in L.A. And hanging out, try the food, ask some Friendly Koreans a few questions. Over all, I think you will like it for a short stay, I did. Not sure I could take it for a long term...a bit cold emotionally. My advice if you go is, Find a GI, maybe a Brother, and see how he gets along, and ask him what is where, get a better Idea of things relevent to you and your wants/desires. But over all I think you'll like the place. No idea about Western girls teaching English, but I haerd they are there...good luck...I might head there again some day soon!

[cavanami]

Greetings.

 

I was in Korea this May (2005) for a few weeks.

First time I had been back there in about five years.

 

A lot of changes, more english spoken, the ladies seemed

much friendlier to Americans, quickly found an Irish Pub run

by an Irish gentleman and the Korean ladies in the pub were

extremely friendly!

 

Love the Korean food! Lots of American food to be found as

well as great Italian food.

 

Prices are higher, but not crazy high like in Tokyo.

 

Driving/traffic seemed to have gotten better. Last time I was there it was complete grid lock, terrible. People would try to drive their cars on the sidewalks to get around the traffic and heaven forbid, if you left 1mm of space between your car and the car ahead of you, there was someone jamming in to get in front of you...uggggg!

Now nice tollways/expressways, with traffic moving better.

 

Of course, depends which part of Korea you are in. This time I was near Inchon. Last time was Puhong and Pussan.

 

Happy New Year!

 

Mike

[surebet]

I just completed a year of teaching conversational English to Adults in Seoul, so I can chime in on some of your queries:

 

Soccer: Don't know about watching the game, but thiers an expats league, so if you like to play, join one of the clubs. Great way to meet people.

 

Women being open to American brothers: The teacher I replaced was an African American ex Marine corp. officer ? and the students really liked him, no problems getting pussy. He spoke Korean (having lived there for 4 years) and that is the key in Korea IMHO ? speaking the lingo. More than any other country that I have lived in, living in Korea you will find that the doors really open up when you speak the language.

 

Military cable TV. ? The three different apartments that I lived in during my stay all had AFN (Armed Forces Network), as well as most of the other popular cable TV channels.

 

Foreign girls ? Like you said most from English speaking countries. Usually in their 20?s ? recently graduated and want to travel and pay off student loans. Some good lookers, all university educated. I even met a Colombian girl who taught Spanish, would you believe. Nevertheless, the number of foreign males outnumbers the females by a factor of 2 or 3 to 1 (or more). I remember on my flight to Seoul, I sat next to a fellow Australian who was going back to stay with his Fiancé (a Korean girl he had met). He told me that ?there is no going back?, in other words once you get a taste of Korean girls you will never see white girls in the same light again. Now at the time I was going to Korea mainly to earn some money and a change of scenery as I wasn?t very attracted to Asian girls. Nowadays I can happily say that I am at LEAST as attracted to Asian girls as I am to Western girls ? it kind of crept up on me and then hit me with a huge thud. Korean girls can be a bit shy or inhibited in the beginning but once they get going (soju helps) they love to get fucked. Most korean woman are curious to meet foreigners but find it hard to do so (few around and the language barrier) so most probably you will be their first.

 

Nightclubs-

 

Hongdae area? the main nightlife area, plenty of nice clubs, and you can meet some hot Korean girls here.

M2 is a huge danceclub with international DJ?s, worth checking out.

Stompers - more for the Gangsta types and the girls that chase after them.

 

 

Itaewon area ? This is the 'designated' foreigner district in the downtown area. This is about the only place in Korea that foreigners outnumber Koreans. One of my fun things to do was to sit at the Subway sandwhich shop and watch the United Nations of Humanity walking by ? people literally from every place imaginable, tourists and locals. A bit like Khaosan Road ? although not the backpacker types ? more the every other type. Theirs a few good bars/nightclubs here. Thurday night is half price drinks night for girls in one of the main bars there (I can?t remember the name right now), and if your out of luck out you can walk ?up the hill? and monger in one of the dozens of bars that line the backstreets of Itaewon. (funnily enough theirs a huge mosque right next door). Expect to pay 150 000 Won ST onsite (in the bar that I went to their were no rooms they just draw a curtain around the table) or go to a nearby love motel.

 

Gangnam area ? This is the poshest area in Korea, check out Hard Rock café.

 

Dating sites- Koreanfriendfinder.com. A fellow teacher mate of mine had some luck finding Korean women from here.

 

Winters ? January is very cold ? expect -5 to -10, although their were only 3 days with snow this past winter (2004-5).

 

Food ? Very cheap compared to the salaries that you get. I would pay 1000 won (about one dollar) at a Korean restaurant for kimpap (rice wrapped in seaweed), and 4000w for a traditional rice, tofu and veges dish. The ubiquitous Fermented cabbage (kimchi) is free with whatever you order in Korea. A pitcher of beer in a bar 3-5000w, cigs 2500w, Soju 1000w for half a litre (Korean rice ?vodka?) at the seven eleven (which are all open 24/7).

 

Airfare from Seoul to Bangkok ? about 400,000W return.

 

I have only mentioned the tip of the ice berg as to what is awaiting ? and the experience really has changed me in a positive way.

[Old Hippie]

"...Expect to pay 150 000 Won ST onsite ..."

 

If I read that right, it is about $150usd? seems really high...what do the locals pay now? as I recall, there is/was an area where Koreans and some Japanese went, had the girls in the window, or standing out front, rooms in the back...any ideas where? the more I think of it, the more I want to go back there now...

[Coss]

"I LOVE kiwi and Aussie girls."

 

Steve, you just made me turn over in my grave. ::

 

Cheers

 

Coss

[surebet]

Hi Old Hippie,

 

If I read that right, it is about $150usd? seems really high ? yes, and she initially quoted $200. There was a BIG crackdown on the Korean sex industry that started about a year ago (Sept. 2004). Since then punting has really gone downhill in Korea. Prices have risen and service fallen ? and there is the now real threat of deportation if your caught at it ? sex heaven became sexprison in one night? BUT?.

 

This is the land that gives new meaning to the word Paradox. Korea is one huge red light district (I kid you not, estimates of the sex industry is at 4% of GDP one of the highest in the world) with all manner of bars, clubs, private salons, spinning Barber shop poles are everywhere, and their seems to be some kind of sex business in just about every commercial building in the whole city. There is an unexplored (from a westerners perspective) UNIVERSE of mongering and as I said in my previous post these girls have been untouched by western cock (if you monger outside of Itaewon and Yongsan). We are talking about the lowest rates of HIV in the world.

 

...what do the locals pay now? Locals prefer to go to An Ma (Japanese style) massage palours ? and this is about what they pay as well. The service here is very good and they are everywhere. Barber shops (cbj shops) are about half this (more if they offer extras), but they can be hit and miss. The trick is to hook up with a Korean and let him take you around. In many cases they will allow a foreigner into an establishment when he is with a local but refuse if he is not. I?ve had the ?no foreigners allowed here? treatment more than once.

 

as I recall, there is/was an area where Koreans and some Japanese went, had the girls in the window, or standing out front, rooms in the back...any ideas where? 3 main places ? Miari, Yongsan and 588.

 

Miari is very big but since the crackdown the more than 250 windows displaying girls has been very hit and miss. Sometimes closed, sometimes open very unreliable ? it changes from week to week and since I have left I don?t know what the scene is like. Take a look at Jacksons site for latest updates.

 

Yongsan ? next to the huge newly rebuilt train station in the inner city by the same name?Theirs the A section, hot girls standing or sitting inside window cubicules but for Korean men only (although one hottie suggested 250Kwon as I was walking by once ? I passed), and in the back alleys the B section, for everybody else (the Yongsan Army base is down the road). Again 70-150 k won. Don?t expect many attractive girls in this area though and their were some downright skanks here as well.

 

588 ? Worth checking out although I only cruised by once quickly, a smaller version of miari.

 

Lastly, my personal favourite was to go to this tiny bar ?Don?t tell moma? in Hwajeong (northern Seoul) and drink with the 2-3 girls working their at 4000w a beer. I had a private arrangement doing the mamasan for 50-100K won 'taxi money' and although I didn?t do the other girls working in here they also would go with a guy if they liked him for 100K. These were really nice girls who were really curious to finally meet up with a westerner. I was the first westerner in her bar and these girls had never spoken to a westerner before (they spoke ZERO English)? it was my little secret?.bring along your favorite English/Korean phrase book for endless hours of fun. The point I want to make here in my experience is to go out and explore far of 'virgin' territory.

 

Since the crackdown a lot of guys nowadays prefer to save their cash and do quick mongering trips to Angeles City or Pattaya.

[surebet]

Another thing I neglected to mention was the ready availability of jobs in Korea teaching English. All you need is a valid degree in any discipline and the monthly income is about 1.8 to 2 mil. on average. 90% of the work is teaching kids and if you can avoid doing the morning kindergarden hours then you have got it made. I knew a Texan dude their who works 4-9 pm 5 days a week and got 2 mill won/ month (about $2000 us) virtually tax free plus his own apartment thrown in (this settup is fairly typical). Korean kids in particular can be brats - but kids are kids the world over. The first few months I started out teaching kids and my fondest memories till now was to have a class of 4 year olds 10 am each morning - a special experience I must say. If you can stand up in class and teach "this is a fireman this is a firetruck" for 40 mins. and make it interesting then this is the way to go. Incidently, for the past seven years this same Texan guy does as follows:

 

1) Work a 12 month contract (you get one months pay as a bonus at the end of a 12 month contract). Save, save, save..

 

2) Live like a King in Thailand for 6 months.

 

3) Repeat.

 

Teaching adults and you start work at 7am and have the middle of the day off and then evening classes don't finish till 9.30 or 10 pm. It sucks big time for going out after work BUT if you want to really get to know a girl, flirt with her and every other woman that comes to learn English (as the teacher) and then fuck her just after morning class finishes at 11.30 am - then this is the way to go. You can live like a celebrity if you want.

 

You will get invited to all manor of parties, restaurants, private homes etc. by the students (from every walk of life), its a great insight into the local life. Here you will meet educated women (single or more likely married) that can speak English. Some students can speak perfect english, yet still like to "brush up" i.e. check out the latest western teacher who is teaching at the local academy.

 

I remember now a sex parlour that was on the same floor of the Academy where I was teaching and some of the girls from this parlor enrolled to learn English (unfortunately they were in the beginners classes taught by the korean teachers). Lol, this was a full service building you could say. One of the girls was typical of top level Korean beauty: 6 foot tall, light skin, gorgeous face, lovely shapped tits and a tight butt.

 

Nowadays, I see many Korean working ladies here in Sydney (where I live) post crackdown. Thats why many choose to learn English.

 

One experience I HIGHLY reccommend is to go to the Korean Motor show (held around March every year). Even if your not into cars - the place is overflowing with Korean goddesses who do a good job of 'demonstrating' a car - the ultimate eyecandy. In stark contrast to the Sydney Motor Show where the Models don't really 'pose' very much at all.

 

Typically though, english students have had enough of the repressed (from a females perspective) confucion culture that she lives in. Korea is the only country in the world that still actively practises many aspects of confucionism. An example of this is a womans surname does not change over to her husbands surname when she marries - she is referred to by her husband as "mother of Kim Dae Joon" (example of a childs name). Up until very recently a woman only got 10% of the assets after a divorce - nowadays, with woman getting 30-50% of the loot, Korea has the highest divorce rate in Asia (47% of new marriages end in divorce according to TIME). In Korea the times definately are a changin..

 

Hope this helps.